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After a day's break, Pro Kabaddi Season 5 resumed with the final two new teams on display.
It was a superb debut for the Gujarat Fortunegiants who hammered Dabang Delhi in the first game with a smart and controlled showing to get their campaign off on a winning note.
The Telugu Titans took to the mat for the second game of the night, looking to steady the ship after two straight losses. However, it was to be more misery for the home side as newcomers UP Yoddha registered a comprehensive win against them.
Here's a look at what stood out on a night when two new teams announced their arrival in a big way.
#1 Low risk, high reward works wonders for Gujarat
The game between the debuting Fortunegiants and Dabang Delhi was a low-scoring, slow-paced affair for much of the contest. And it was intentionally made so by the Fortunegiants.
With an elite defender like Fazel Atrachali in their ranks manning the left corner, and the right corner manned by his Iranian countryman Abozar Mighani, the Gujarat team opted to play to their strengths and lean on their defence.
Captained by former Telugu Titans raider Sukesh Hegde, the Fortunegiants’ raiders didn't take too many risks, opting to just use up the time more often than not while allowing their defence to neutralize Dabang’s dangerous raiders Meraj Sheykh and Abolfazl Maghsodlou. Delhi had zero raid points in the first 10 minutes and their captain Meraj spent over 13 minutes off the floor in the first half.
Though the final score read 26-20, it was never that close with Dabang only narrowing the margin after the Fortunegiants took their foot off the gas towards the end. It was a very calculated performance by the new side. Yes, there will be more challenging days ahead, but they look like a side with a clear plan and well thought out strategy.
#2 Delhi send Sunil in to raid
In one of the most bizarre moments ever seen in Pro Kabaddi, Dabang Delhi on a Do Or Die Raid in the second half opted to send in their left corner defender Sunil to take the raid. This despite having a regular raider in Anand Patil on the floor. It was an inexplicable move that made no sense and surely enough Sunil ended up getting rather easily tackled.
To make matters worse, Delhi had only four men on the court at the time and were reduced to three for the next raid in which they ended up giving a touch point to the Fortunegiants.
It was a move that underlined the sort of dysfunctional performance that Dabang Delhi put in on the night.
#3 Titans leave out Salunkhe
In a move that raised eyebrows, the Telugu Titans left their secondary raider Nilesh Salunkhe out of the starting unit. If there's one thing you don't want to do, it's burden star man Rahul Chaudhari with additional workload. Ostensibly, it was a move aimed at strengthening the defence, an area they had struggled in during the two games that they had lost. Plus, they were facing a strong raiding unit in the Yoddha.
Nilesh did come on to start the second half and was his usual consistent self. His introduction did not make much of a difference though as the Titans slid to another defeat with the Yoddha getting stronger in the second half.
#4 Bhola’s Super Raid breaks the game open
Despite Nilesh Salunkhe’s omission and an indifferent first half, the Titans still remained close, keeping the score to within two points.
With 13:15 left in the game though, the game took a significant swing in the Yoddha's direction thanks to Surender 'Bhola’ Singh's Super Raid that took out three of the Titans players. The former Puneri Paltan came on as a sub midway through the match and produced the biggest moment of the game.
His presence adds valuable depth to this Yoddha side.
#5 Yoddha's starting unit will induce fear in most teams
Nitin Tomar. Rishank Devadiga. Rajesh Narwal. Jeeva Kumar. Mahesh Goud.
That's six of the starting seven for the Yoddha and they are a terrifying bunch to deal with. Tomar, the man who went for the highest price in the auction at INR 93 lakhs, is a fantastic raider and more than useful defender too.
Rishank, a star for U Mumba in the first three seasons, but coming off an underwhelming season four, seems to have added new elements to his raiding that make him look dangerous.
Rajesh Narwal is a wily, reliable all-rounder who is a strong cover defender and a smart, savvy raider. Jeeva, the other cover defender, was a key cog of the strong U Mumba sides of the first four seasons.
Goud is being used for Do or Die raids so that they don't lose Nitin Tomar or Rishank due to it. And if Goud struggles, they can swap him out for Surender Singh.
With such strong cover defenders in the side, the corners will be key and Nitesh Kumar shone today with a High 5, picking up five tackle points for the Yoddha. By the end of their match, they had completely swamped the Titans who just did not have an answer, going on to win 31-18. Keep your eye on this team.
